President approves appointment on advice of PM Shehbaz Sharif n Opposition Leader Raja Riaz claims he floated Kakar’s name during meeting with Shehbaz n Senator Kakar had co-launched Balochistan Awami Party and served as spokesman for Balochistan govt.
ISLAMABAD - President Arif Alvi Saturday signed a summary to approve the appointment of Anwaarul Haq as the caretaker Prime Minister under Article 224(1A) of the Constitution, at Aiwan-e-Sadr.
Earlier, a summary containing the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was sent to the President House after the prime minister and opposition leader Raja Riaz, of the outgoing National Assembly, agreed on the nomination of Senator Kakar and jointly signed the summary.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Leader of the Opposition Raja Riaz in the dissolved National Assembly on Saturday agreed to nominate Anwaarul Haq Kakar as the Caretaker Prime Minister.
The decision was taken during a consultation meeting held in the PM House. The consultation process for the appointment of the caretaker prime minister was amicably completed, the PM Office Media Wing said in a press release. The prime minister and the leader of the opposition jointly signed the advice for the appointment of the caretaker PM and sent it to the President of Pakistan, it was added. On the occasion, the prime minister thanked the leader of the opposition for his role in the parliament during the last 16 months and the cooperation extended in the consultation process.
Anwaarul Haq Kakar was elected as an independent senator from Balochistan province for tenure of March 2018 to March 2024 in the general seat. He was also working as chairperson Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development and as a member of the Business Advisory Committee, Finance and Revenue, Foreign Affairs and Science and Technology.
Kakar had co-launched a political party Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) and also served as spokesman for the government of Balochistan. The consultation process for the nomination of the caretaker prime minister commenced after the president approved the dissolution of the National Assembly (NA) on August 9, on the advice of the prime minister.
The prime minister’s advice had sought dissolution of the assembly under Article 58(1) of the Constitution.
On 11 August, the president also wrote a letter to the prime minister and the opposition leader of the outgoing Assembly to propose the name of a suitable person for the appointment of caretaker PM under Article 224 (1A) of the Constitution. The outcome of Saturday’s meeting thus paves the way for the transition of government to a caretaker set-up. The proposed caretaker prime minister is expected to take oath of his office soon after which he would announce his caretaker cabinet in a run-up to the next general elections.
Former Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Raja Riaz Ahmed said Saturday that his nominee Anwaarul Haq Kakar was picked as the caretaker Prime Minister after three-day deliberations with outgoing PM Shehbaz Sharif.
Talking to journalists here, Raja Riaz Ahmed said he had a discussion with Shehbaz Sharif, and they both agreed that the caretaker prime minister should hail from a smaller province, maintaining an apolitical and unbiased stance. “I had put forward Kakar’s name for the caretaker PM position,” he maintained.
Riaz said that the summary, signed by both himself and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, was then sent to President Arif Alvi. “We initially agreed that the prime minister should come from a smaller province to address grievances. Then settled on Kakar’s name,” Riaz said.
Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar, a senator, was earlier designated as the caretaker prime minister to oversee national elections. This decision followed a meeting between outgoing premier Shehbaz Sharif and opposition leader Raja Riaz Ahmad.
“The prime minister (Shehbaz Sharif) and leader of opposition have jointly signed the advice which will be sent to the president for approval,” an official statement said.
Kakar, a relatively lesser-known figure from Balochistan, will lead an interim government until the next elections. Kakar is categorized as an independent politician by the Senate, but he is associated with the Balochistan Awami Party.
The National Assembly was dissolved recently, triggering a legal requirement for elections within 90 days. However, the latest census results indicate a need for more time to redraw constituencies.
The Election Commission will need to redefine boundaries for numerous federal and provincial constituencies, based on which an election date will be announced. The forthcoming vote is likely to proceed without former PM Imran Khan, who was convicted of corruption and sentenced to three years in jail. The interim government assumes control of a nation marred by political upheaval since Khan’s removal via a no-confidence vote in April 2022.
Meanwhile, in a tweet late Saturday Senator Kakar said, “I am thankful to the Almighty for being given an opportunity to serve the people of Pakistan. My gratitude also extends to all the stakeholders for reposing their trust in me to lead the country. Prayers requested from everyone that Allah gives me the fortitude to carry out my responsibilities with due diligence.